First Letter from Small Man to the Sacred Family in Village of Pleasure 6
6
KEEPING DISAGREEMENTS WITHIN THE SACRED FAMILY
1How can any of you, when you have something against another, be so bold as to take your dispute before those outside our sacred family? The outsiders who decide these matters have no understanding of our ways. Why not call a council within the sacred family to decide these things?
2-3Do you not know that Creator’s holy ones will decide for the whole world who has done right and who has done wrong, both for human beings and spirit-messengers? If you will take part in such a great matter as this, are you not able to call together a sacred family council to decide on small matters for your daily lives?
4If you have your own councils to decide on these matters, why would you let outsiders who have no standing in the eyes our sacred family decide these things? 5Have you no shame? Is there no one among you wise enough to restore harmony between sacred family members? 6Instead, one sacred family member takes another to be judged by those who know nothing of our spiritual ways. 7When this happens, you have already lost everything! Why not let yourselves be wronged or cheated? 8Instead, you wrong and cheat the members of your own sacred family.
WALKING THE WRONG PATH
9Do you not know that the ones who wrong and cheat each other will not share in the blessings of Creator’s good road? Do not let anyone mislead you. Anyone who walks an impure path of uncontrolled desires,#6:9 Ephesians 5:3-5 or anyone who prays to spirit-images, or any who are unfaithful in marriage, or weak men who let other men use them for sex, or any who abuse the sacred gift of sex with each other. 10Nor those filled with greed, or drunks, or big-mouth troublemakers, or those who behave like tricksters—none of these will share in the blessings of Creator’s good road.
11Some of you used to walk in these ways, but no more. You have been washed clean. You have been made holy. You have been given good standing in the eyes of the Great Spirit. All this was done through the name of our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, and by the Spirit of our Creator.
FREEDOM MEANS DOING GOOD
12 Someone has said, “I am free to do whatever I desire.” This may be true, but not all things one can do will lead to harmony with each other. So then, even if I am free to do whatever I desire, I will not let my desires tell me what to do.
13 It has been said, “Our stomachs want food, so why not give our stomachs what they want?” But we must remember that Creator will do away with both the need for food and for stomachs. We should use our bodies for the purpose they were created for, not for uncontrolled desires, but to bring honor to our Great Chief.
14Creator has raised up our Honored Chief from death to life. The same power that raised him will also raise up our bodies in the same way. Do you not know that this means that we are part of the body of the Chosen One? 15Should I take a part of the body of the Chosen One and join it to someone who trades the use of their body for possessions? May it never be so!
16Can you not see that a man who joins together with such a woman becomes one body with her? For it says in our Sacred Teachings, “The two will be joined together and become one body.”#6:16 Genesis 2:24 17But the one who is joined together with our Honored Chief is one spirit with him.#6:17 John 17:21
18Run away from these kinds of impure desires. No other broken human ways affect the body in this way. The ones who treat sex in this manner are going against Creator’s purpose for their own bodies. 19Or have you forgotten that the Holy Spirit lives in you as Creator’s gift to you, and that your body is not your own but is his sacred lodge? 20A great price was paid to make you his own, so use your body to bring honor to the Great Spirit and not dishonor.
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1 Corinthians 6
6
Lawsuits among Believers
1If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints! 2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
4So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church? 5I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers? 6Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!
7The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means that you are thoroughly defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!#6:8 Literally do wrong, and this to brothers!
Members of Christ
9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. 13“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.
15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”#6:16 Genesis 2:24 (see also LXX) 17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.
The Temple of the Holy Spirit
(Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 3:16–23)
18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.#6:20 BYZ and TR include and with your spirit, which belong to God.
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.